Automatic automobile headlamp



I. D. N. SIMPSON. AUTOIVIAIIC AUTOMOBILEHEADLAIVIP. APPLICATION FILEDNOV.2. 1920. 1.419982. PatentedJune I5, w22.

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.IDHNDN J. D. N; SIMPSON.`

AUTOMATIC AUTOMOBILE HEADLAMP.

'APPLICATION man Nov.2.19 2o.

124189 82o Patented. June 6, 1922 s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3mm/Lto@ J.. D. N. SIMPSON. AUTOMATIC AUTOMOBILE HEADLAMP.

- gwwmro@ JOHN DpNSTMTsOM 'n1-ran, STATE orrica.

i JOHN D. SIMPSON, 0F SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA.

To all whomfz't may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN D. N. SIMPSON,- `a citizen of the UnitedStates,r residing at Spartanburg, in the county of Spartanburg and Stateof South Carolina, have invented.

vision of means for connecting .the head lamps of an automobile to thesteering mechanism, so that said lamps may be compelled to move in acorresponding direction with the front wheels of the automobile or bepermitted to remain stationary if desired.

' Another object of this invention is` the provision of means under thecontrol of the operator whereby the movement of the lamps with the frontwheels may be discontinued and the lamps locked against accidentalmovement and in a position to direct the rays of light therefromdirectly in front of the automobile.

` A further object of this invention is the provision' of automaticautomobile head `lamps of the above stated character which will besimple, durable and efficient, and which may be manufactured and sold`at a comparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully'described and claimed. l

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is tobe had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which I Fig. 1is a top plan view, illustrating automatic automobile head lampsconstructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 isa fragmentary sectional view, illstrating the mounting of thelamp standar s y.

Fig. Bis a vertical sectional view illustrating the means of connectingand disconnecting the lamps withthe steering mechanism,

Specification of Letters Patent.

AUTOMATIC AUTOMOBILE HEADLAMP.

Patented June 6,1922.

Application led November 2, 1920. Serial No. 421,263.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, illustrating the same,

Fig. 5 is a detail View, illustrating the locking member,

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectionalview, illustrating the shell or casingfor the locking member,

Fig. 7 is a plan View illustrating an actuating arm, Fig. 8 is a planview, illustrating a lockmgvarm,

1g. 9 is a detail end View, illustrating the fork of the shiftingmember,

Figure 10 is a detail view illustrating a coupling,

Figure 11 is a detail view illustrating the shifting member.

Referring in'detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a chassisor frame of an automobile having the usual steering `arm 2 adapted to beactuated by the ordinary steering mechanism (not shown) and which isadapted to be connected to .the front wheels 3 in the usual manner.Tubular supporting members 4 are secured to the forward end of the frameor chassis 1 by brackets 5 and have formed in their upper ends ballraces, 6 to receive ball bearings. Lamp standards 7 carrying suitablehead lamps 8 extend through the tubularA supporting members 4 and haveformed thereon cups v9 adapted to bear upon the ball bearings and alsooverlie the ballv bearing races 6 in the upper ends of the members 4.The lamp standards 7 extend entirely through the members l and are ofhollow formation, so that the electric wires for the electric lamps intlie head lamps 8 may readily enter sald head lamps from a point belowthe frame.

Arms 10 are secured to the lower ends of the lamp standards and areconnected by a connecting rod 11 extending transversely of theautomobileso that the head. lamps will lbe compelled to move in unison.

One of the arms 10 has formed integrally with same an arm 12 whichextends at right angles to said arm 1() and is pivotally convnected to aconnecting rod 13. The connecting rod 13 extends rearwardly and ispivotally connected to the end of an actuating arm 14. The"arm 14 isassociated with a connecting and disconnecting means 15 that includes asectional shell or casing 16 which has its ends closed by removableplates 17. The removable plates 17 are held on the casing or shell bymeans of bolts 18 that also may extend through the frame or chassis 1.The connecting and disconnecting means may be located on the inside ofthe frame or be located upon the outside of said frame by simplyreversing the positionof the arm 14. The shell or casing 16 has a bore19 in Whi' 'i is slidably mounted a locking member 20. The lockingmember 2() has formed on one end a head 21 which is spaced from said endof the locking member by a neck 22 and is adapted to be engaged by afork 23 formed upon a shifting member 24. The shifting member 24 extendsthrough a slot 25 in the casing or shell and is slidably mounted in abracket or ear 26 formed on the exterior of the casing or shell andwhich is internally screw threaded to receive the screw threaded shank27 of an adjusting nut 28. The shell or casing is provided withoppositely disposed grooves 29 adjacent oneend of the bore 19 and saidgrooves communicate with an annular groove 30 formed in the casing orshell and in communication with the bore 19. The locking member 20 hasformed thereon oppositely disposed ribs 31 that have their ends beveledas illustrated at 32 so that they will readily enter the grooves 29 andgrooves 32 formed in an actuating arm 33.

The arms 14 and 33 have formed thereon hubs 35 provided with theoppositely disposed grooves 32 and the hubs surround the locking member20 and fit within annular recesses 36 formed in the casing or shellwhile said arms extend outwardly of the shell or casing by Way of slots.

The hubs of the arms 14 and 33 are relatively spaced so that when thelocking member 20 is in one position or with the ribs 31 in the grooves29, the arm 33 Will be free to turn in relation to the arm 14 and alsothe locking member 20 and when said locking member is moved to anotherposition, the ribs 31 enter the grooves 32 of the arm 33 locking saidarm to the locking member so that on movement of the arm 33 the arm 14yvvill be moved With the same, caus'- ing the movement of the headlamps. The arm 33 is connected to a connecting rod 37 by a ball andsocket connection and said connecting rod is in turn connected to an arm38 by a ball and socket connectionand said arm 38 is connected to thesteering arm 2 so that on movementof the steering arm.

by the usual steering mechanism, the arm 33 will be moved accordinglyand if said arm 33 is locked to the arm 14, the head lamps will becompelled to move in the same direction as the front wheels of theautomobile so that the rays of light from the lamps will be directed inthe path ofthe automobile when traveling upon a curve.

A controlling lever 39 is provided with a forked portion 40 hav-ing aslot 4l in one connection with the fork member 24 and is provided with abearing portion 46 that eX- tends through an opening in the arm portion44 of the fork and said bearing portion has a reduced screw threadedportion 47 that receives a nut 48 to prevent the coupling 45 frombecoming detached from the arm portion 44 of the fork. A connecting rod49 is pivoted to the end of the controlling lever 39 and to the end ofan operating lever 50. rIhe operating lever 50 is pivotally mounted onthe automobile and in convenientreach of the operator and is providedwith a suitable catch 51 for holding the same in a position to cause themember 20 to couple l the arms 33 and 14 together and against the actionof the spring 39 so that when the lever 50 is released the spring 39will move the member 20 downwardly to uncouple the arms 13 and 14 and tolock the arm 14 against rotation by the ribs 31 entering the grooves 29.It is to be understood that the action of the spring is to normallyposition the parts so that the arm 13 is free to turn relative to thearm 14 and the latter held against rotation, consequently prevent ingaccidental movement of the head lamps' from a position Where they casttheir rays of light straight ahead of the automobile. The operatorpushing lthe lever 50 in the direction before mentioned causes the arm39 to move which in turn moves the forked member 24 upwardly to positionthe locking member 20 in the upper portion of the casing with its ribs31 disengaged from the grooves 29 and into engagement with the grooves32 of the arms 33 and 14, consequently coupling said arms together.whereby the movement of the steering mechanism will be transmitted tothe head lamps and cause them to move in a corresponding direction withthe movement of the front wheels of the automobile. The operator onreleasing the lever 50 from said position, permits the spring 39 to actto return the locking member 20 tothe lower portion of the casing todisengage the ribs from the grooves 32 of the arm33 and position saidribs in the grooves 29 to lock the arm 14 against rotation and permitthe arm 33 to move with the steering mechanism. The arm 14 being lockedagainst movement prevents accidental turning movement of the head 1am s.

While have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention,it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination,combination and imanes arrangement of parts may bemade Without departingfrom the spirit and scope of invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I ciaim is:

l. An operating device for a dirigible the l.head lamp comprising acasing having grooves, a locking element slidabiy and rotatably mountedYin the casing, arms journaled on said eiement and connectedrespectively to ahead lamp and to a steering mechgnism, said arms havinggrooves, ribs on said element, and operating means to `siide saidelement in eithgr direction to position the ribs in the grooves -of thearms to couple the arms together and to position the ribs in the groovesof the casing and in the grooves of one of the arms to iock the iatteragainst movementand to permit the other arm to tnrn freely lon saidelements.

`ler and lock into said first position..

3. An-` operating device for a dirigiiole lhead iamp comprising acasing, arms associatedvvith the casing and connected respecively to ahead lamp and to a steering mechanism, a locking element in said casingfor coupling the arms together When in one position and to uncouple saidarms and to iock one of the arms against movement when in a secondposition, an actuating arm Actnrried by said casing, means tor connecting said arm to the element and adapted to normally urge the same into.its second position,'and means connected to the arm for moving andholding said element in its first position.

fi. An operating device for a dirigible head lamp comprising a casing,arms associated with the casing and connected to a head lamp and to asteering mechanism, al

locking element in said casing tor coupling the arms together when 1n4one posltion and to uncouple said arms and to iock one of the armsagainst movement 1when in a- `second position, an actuating armcarriedby said casing, a rod connecting the arms of said elements and sii'dablysupported,

tension means engaging said rod to position the element in a secondposition, and means connecting the said arms for movin and holding saidelement in' its first positlon.

.in testimony whereof I affix my signa ture in presence of tivowitnesses.

JHN D. NJSMPSON. Witnesses :l

B. T. SMITH,

Los BUsLsY.

